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bhagwan dharmanatha, the 15th tirthankara of the jain tradition , was born in ratanapuri (now raunahi in
faizabad of u.p. near ayodhya).
the name of his mother was suvrata and that of his father was bhanu nripa who belonged to kasyapa
gotra and the iksnvaka line of ancient indian kings. bhanu nripa was himself was a great king. his wife,
queen suvrata, was very pious lady and was celebrated for the numerous acts of piety which she
performed, particularly during her pregnancy.
it is why the child she gave birth to, was named as dharmanatha ( the lord of piety). moreover, it has been
predicated that newborn would one day become a great savior and would by his relentless preaching
show to the suffering humanity the path to salvation.
there were great rejoicing at his birth and when he became of age he ascended the throne of his father
and ruled over his subjects with law and piety. all the time, however, his mind was fixed on the day when
he would renounce the world and devote himself to the ful fillment of his mission as a tirthankara. the
day of the great renunciation came and dharmanatha, giving up every worldly possession and
attachment, went to the nearest forest named salvana, and took vows of the order. he practiced severest
austerities, annihilated the karmic forces, attained kaivalya and became the arhanta. then he proceeded
on his tour of wandering, preaching to the suffering humanity and gospel of ahimsa and showing it, not
only by precept, but by actual example, the true path of salvation.
thus this great benefactor of all living being fully justified by his name. the lord of piety like the shramana
thirthankars who went before him and those who came after him. lord dharmanatha hammered into the
minds of his contemporaries the truths “live and let live”; ‘ do unto others what you would them do untoyou’; ‘ be truthful in thought, word and deed; ‘do not covet that which, does not belong to you’; ‘ keep your
senses and passion under control’; ‘
try to realize the